Monday, June 28, 2010

Procalcitonin ready for prime time?

A procalcitonin assay has recently been approved for use in the United States. Unfortunately many hospitals do not run the assay in house. The principles behind procalcitonin and the current state of use are covered in a recent review in LabMedicine (reproduced in full text at Medscape).

PCT seems to be useful as an adjunct to guide antimicrobial treatment. Questions remain as to its value in diagnosing or excluding infection.

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About Me

Originally a traditional internist, I became a hospitalist in the early days of the “movement.” I'll be writing about clinical topics, mainly in hospital medicine. Occasionally politics and other stuff creep in. This content does not constitute medical advice (consult your physician) nor is it authoritative (check primary sources).